Report Shows 15-inch MacBook Air Release Window, M2 Max Core Count

Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Air and a new 12-inch MacBook, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with Apple’s plans. The sources also revealed details about the M2 family of chips that will appear in Apple’s high-end MacBook Pro computers.

The 15-inch Air will have the same overall design as the 13.6-inch MacBook Air that was unveiled at the company’s WWDC presentation on Monday. That means an ultra-slim design with no beveled edges, as well as a screen notch and a keyboard with function keys and Touch ID. The laptop is expected to use the same M2 processor as its smaller brother.

According to sources, the new laptop could arrive as early as the spring of 2023. They also say that Apple is working on a 12-inch MacBook that could arrive in late 2023 or early 2024, but it’s still far enough away that Apple could still scrap its plans.

But Bloomberg sources also have news for those who want the fastest MacBook. New iterations of the MacBook Pro with second-generation Apple M2-based chips could arrive as early as this fall, but could arrive as early as early 2024. However, when they arrive, they will offer extended M2 cousins ​​like the previous ones. models were made with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chip.

Specifically, the M2 Max is said to have 12 CPU cores and up to 38 GPU cores, which is a step up from the M1 Max’s 10 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores. Apple said at its event this week that the M2 only offers a 20 percent increase in performance over the M1. While it’s impossible to say anything with certainty based on the number of cores alone, the details in the Bloomberg report suggest a potentially similar performance jump for the new MacBook Pro computers.

Bloomberg sources also note that Apple is testing Mac mini and Mac Pro models, but did not go into details about the products.

In the meantime, Apple’s 13.6-inch MacBook Air is expected to go on sale next month, at least a month after the WWDC product launch. The delay is due to well-known constraints in the global supply chain.